As International Mother Language Day draws in, Bangladeshis home and abroad remember our nation’s history. As the only country responsible for struggling with its language, we hold this day in high regard. We feel a great deal of pride for our mother tongue Bangla too. However, Olympic Industries PLC. understood the threat Western influence is posing to our culture. Therefore, they came up with the “কালের স্রোতের ভাষা” campaign to remind us of our relationship with Bangla.
The TVC features a family heading off towards the memorial dedicated to the language martyrs of Bangladesh. As the father fixes his “Punjabi,” his son rushes into the room, asking him to hurry up. It’s quickly noticeable that there is something odd about the boy as he speaks in a mixture of Bangla and English. We soon find out why, as his mother encourages him to talk in English more. On top of that, we notice him speaking Hindi after being influenced by cartoons. As the happy family is driving along the street, the son asks his mother regarding the events of 21st February. His mother eagerly tells him about the brave heroes of this nation. She goes ahead and narrates to him about their fight against the monster to defend their language, Bangla.
The realization hits the child’s eyes as he calls out his mother, a monster for making him talk in English instead of Bangla. Horror fills the parents’ eyes as the car screeches to a halt, and they understand their act of ignorance.
Olympic Industries PLC. has really hit home with this AVC. In this age of globalization, English has become a go-to mode of communication. Hence, having a solid knowledge of English is a must. However, that doesn’t mean one should have a weak acknowledgment of his/her own mother tongue. So, it’s not about having a negative impression of English or any other language, it’s about making Bangla the first and foremost priority. Only if Olympic established this in its AV, the commercial would be a 10 on 10 campaign in our opinion.
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